Classic Rock History and Information

In the United States, classic rock music format now features a large playlist of songs ranging from the 1960s and 1970s. The traditional classic rock genre usually ends in the early 1980s.

The first station to use the name Classic Rock on air was KRBE-AM, Houston in 1983.

It's important to make a distinction between Classic Rock and Oldies. Classic Rock grew out of a radio format that used to be called AOR -- Album Oriented Rock. Classic Rock defines entire albums, whereas the Oldies genre encompasses selected singles that were commercially successful.

Generally, classic rock history begins with artists that still occupy radio time today, most of whom still generate huge crowds and pack large venues. The Who, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Queen for example.

If you ever wonder what is classic rock well just think Classic means something about which the same opinion has stood over a long period of time. So for something to be considered classic rock you have to think of songs that have been and still are on the radio today and was made in the 60s through some of the 80s.

Classic Rock is also a British magazine dedicated to the radio format of classic rock, published by Future Publishing, who are also responsible for its "sister" publication Metal Hammer. Although firmly focusing on key bands from the 1960s through early 1990s, it also includes articles and reviews of contemporary and upcoming artists it deems worthy of note. Despite starting as a one-off project it has become one of the UK's best selling music magazines, and attracts much attention and respect of many of classic rock's biggest names. It recentlypublished its 100th issue and now has a higher circulation than theNME.